White Sands (United States) (AFP) – Suffering from cancer, New Mexico residents who lived near the site where the very first atomic bomb was tested in 1945 lament that they have been successively forgotten by the US military, Congress and Hollywood. “Oppenheimer”, the film about the “father of the atomic bomb,” is this year’s Oscar favorite, with 13 nominations.
Mosul (Iraq) (AFP) – In Iraq, the traditional “daf”, a large framed tambourine, is making a comeback after being banned under the Islamic State group. Very popular in Middle Eastern music, the instrument is especially used for religious ceremonies.
Port-au-Prince (AFP) – Haiti’s capital is largely shut down, with residents only venturing out for essentials, as authorities impose a state of emergency after an attack on a prison which freed thousands of inmates. “The national police can do nothing against the onslaught of armed gangs. Only a military force can help us in this situation,” says one man.
Hanoi (AFP) – Hanoi topped air monitoring website IQAir’s continually updated table of the world’s most polluted cities early on Tuesday afternoon, with the Vietnamese capital blanketed by a thick haze of pollution.
Dhaka (AFP) – Bangladeshi Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus says the right to free expression has ‘kind of disappeared’ for government opponents in his country. Yunus says many believe Bangladesh’s prime mininster Sheikh Hasina views him as a political threat. “She uses government occasions, very official occasions, makes very serious speeches. And in these speeches she calls me a bloodsucker, she calls me all the dirty things that she can come up with,” he says.
Jakarta (AFP) – Hundreds of people gather in front of parliament in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta to protest alleged interference in last month’s presidential elections, which saw Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto win a majority with more than two-thirds of the vote. IMAGES
At sea (AFP) – Images published by the Philippine Coast Guard purportedly show a collision between one of its ships and a China Coast Guard vessel during a resupply mission in the South China Sea. The Chinese coast guard and other vessels undertook “dangerous manoeuvres and blocking”, leading to a collision that resulted in “minor structural damage to the PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) vessel,” PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a post on social media platform X.
Beijing (AFP) – China will “resolutely oppose separatist activities aimed at ‘Taiwan independence’ and external interference”, Chinese premier Li Qiang says at the country’s annual parliamentary meeting in Beijing.
At sea (AFP) – Images published by the Philippine Coast Guard purportedly show a collision between one of its ships and a China Coast Guard vessel during a resupply mission in the South China Sea. The Chinese coast guard and other vessels undertook “dangerous manoeuvres and blocking”, leading to a collision that resulted in “minor structural damage to the PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) vessel,” PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a post on social media platform X.
Redding (United States) (AFP) – Based on suspicions that previous elections were stolen, including the 2020 vote, the Shasta County’s Board of Supervisors has decided to end a contract for their lease of Dominion voting machines, used to process votes in the county. They are now implementing a new system that requires all votes to be counted by hand.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukraine urges the West to transfer control of confiscated Russian assets to Kyiv so they can be used to rebuild the country and support its recovery. “The confiscation of Russian assets should become a reliable source of support for our state and funding for our recovery,” Prime Minister Denys Shmygal tells a press conference.
Versailles (France) (AFP) – France’s Prime Minister Gabriel Attal says that the right to abortion remains “in danger” and “at the mercy of decision makers” before a vote to enshrine it in the constitution.
